The Poppy Sisters by Deborah Carr (HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter)

Love triumphs through all challenges, ethnicities, war conflicts, and suffering.

Two sisters, separated by war, fight every day to rescue the lives of the wounded soldiers under their care. Phoebe works as a VAD at a Base Hospital in Étaples, France, where she treats men who have served at the Front. Their bravery and perseverance inspire her, and though she's supposed to stay her distance, Captain Archie Bailey quickly wins her heart. Celia, her younger sister, works as a nurse at a prison camp on the island of Jersey. These guys fight for the forces that bombed her brother and parents, yet the many hours she spends curing them prove they aren't the monsters she expected.

The sense of community and companionship, the unanticipated moments of love and joy, and a link so strong that even war can't destroy it are all things that Celia and Phoebe eventually come to recognize as being shared by their experiences despite the disparities in their respective circumstances.

This was a pleasant book with everything I look for in a novel: love (in a time of war), historical authenticity, medical fiction, a fantastic plot, and brilliant dialogue that flows smoothly. The characters in this time period worked well overall. Carr's writing style is excellent, and I appreciated the historical undertones. 

3/5